(One drop at a time.) My journal entries about offering copies of the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and other LDS church books, mainly to immigrants in their native language, mainly in Indianapolis, Indiana. With 106 translations, the Book of Mormon (along with the Bible) is a good "Rosetta Stone" for learning English or other languages, in addition to being a missionary tool.

My goals in keeping this blog/journal are: to encourage others to offer people copies of the Book
of Mormon and the Bible, to illustrate the incredible number of recent immigrants who are eager
for bilingual material, to illustrate the ease of encountering them and offering them material,
and to make known the wonderful deeds of the Lord (Ps 105:1, Isa 12:4) in arranging many of these
encounters. I realize that the concept of offering foreign language books to strangers is just
plain weird to many people, so here are some hints if you are intrigued by this and wish to try it.
Respectful comments and constructive criticism are invited.

The goal of the book placement effort is to provide, in a friendly non-threatening way, gospel
material to someone who is willing to receive it in their native language and English.

To the recipients of these books who read this: I thank you again for allowing me
to be of service to you. I encourage you to read the material, and pray to God that He
confirm the truth of it to you. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both the Word of God.
Living according to their teachings brings happiness.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Spanish declined at Chinese restaurant. Fri, Apr 20, 2007

04/20/2007. 814. I had supper at a Chinese buffet restaurant in a suburb of Indianapolis. This was right after I chickened out of an opportunity to talk to two Asian men in front of the nail salon further down the strip mall.

I put out the two kinds of Chinese editions of the Book of Mormon on my table while I ate and read the newspaper. But the bus-boy was Hispanic, not Chinese, so I eventually put out a Spanish Book of Mormon too. On one of his trips collecting the used plates, I asked if he spoke Spanish and liked to read in Spanish, and he said yes. I offered him the Book of Mormon in Spanish and English. He didn't say "no thanks," but he was showing reluctance, and was hesitating while he thought of a response, so I didn't press. I should have offered a Spanish pass-along card though.

When I was ready to leave, the Asian cashier/hostess was on the phone. She had spoken what sounded like Chinese to another Asian family who was eating there. I could have waited until she was off the phone before passing by the cashier counter on my way out, but I was feeling discouraged from having chickened out in front of the nail salon, and the bus-boy declining.

1 Comments:

You are generally always prepared with materials and work to have opportunites. There are not always easy openings. Maybe the timing is not right.

I do believe that at times our prayers can be answered if we are specific and ask that you will be in situations where the timing, enviroment, and are there to share your message.

I remember a missionary companion commenting once who when something happened that made us very down there was often another blessing that happened around that time that was evident of the hand of God.